Miraclon completed the expansion of its flexographic plate manufacturing facility located in Oklahoma, US, in October 2019.
The Miraclon manufacturing facility expansion project added a new flexographic manufacturing line named Gemini to the facility. A ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion was held in April 2017.
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Gemini is Miraclon’s second manufacturing line and is expected to support the company’s existing manufacturing line in Yamanashi, Japan. The company invested $15m in the new manufacturing line, which is one of its biggest capital investments made since 2000.
The products manufactured by the new line under the facility expansion project will be marketed in the US, Canada and Latin America. The investment will support the ongoing growth and adoption of Miraclon’s KODAK FLEXCEL NX Plates, which saw 16% growth in 2016 compared to the previous year.
Miraclon’s flexographic plate manufacturing facility location and expansion details
Miraclon’s flexographic plate manufacturing facility is located in Weatherford, Oklahoma. The installation of the new Gemini flexographic plate manufacturing line is expected to drastically reduce the distance between the manufacturing of the product and its clients.
The new line manufactured the first flexographic plate in October 2018, following thorough testing to ensure that it produces plates similar in performance and quality to those of the Yamanashi facility.
The establishment of this facility brings the source of the product’s supply closer to its customers. It will increase Miraclon’s global presence by expanding its manufacturing footprint.
Miraclon’s FLEXCEL NX digital flexographic system details
Kodak’s FLEXCEL NX digital flexographic system was launched in 2008 as a solution for small to medium format plate-making, but was also extended to large-format versions. The system helps to attain a product of superior quality with better efficiency, increased productivity, higher stability and high-resolution production.
The FLEXCEL NX system is currently used in all segments of flexo printing, including flexible packaging, cartons and labels. The system offers cost-cutting and improved efficiency.
The system is manufactured in four different configurations with two different plate types. Each system provides a complete integrated turnkey solution and also serves a wider variety of packing printing needs.
The FLEXCEL NX system is equipped with KODAK SQUARESPOT, a thermal imaging technology that creates accuracy and reliability in prepress and the pressroom.
It also uses a digital flat-top dot structure, which avoids the formation of bullet-shaped dots during oxygen inhibition, a common occurrence in traditional printing.
Marketing commentary on Miraclon
Miraclon Corporation was established by Montagu Private Equity following the acquisition of Kodak’s Flexographic Packaging Division in November 2018. The company’s primary product portfolio includes the Kodak FLEXCEL NX system.
The company is expanding the FLEXCEL NX system range to provide customers with better products. It launched a new version of its FLEXCEL NX Ultra System in the European market in September 2019. The new system uses solvent-free, water-based processing for delivering plates in less than an hour.
Miraclon also plans to develop new Flexo HUBs, which are interactive platforms designed to connect flexo printers, suppliers and brand owners within the industry.
The company currently has manufacturing units in Japan and the US and offices in Belgium, the US, Japan, Mexico and Singapore, while the R&D team operates from multiple locations.
